GRK 2078:  Integrated engineering of continuous-discontinuous long fiber reinforced polymer structures

• Subject Area: Mechanics and Constructive Mechanical Engineering ; Production Technology ; Materials Engineering
• Term: from 2015 to 2024
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 255730231

In the first funding period, Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) composites, being important representatives of discontinuous long fiber reinforced polymer structures with local continuous fiber reinforcements (CoDiCoFRP), have been systematically analyzed by the doctoral researchers of IRTG. This composite type is of importance for components with large lot sizes. By an intensive interaction of the doctoral researchers at KIT and the cooperation partners in Canada as well as with the PostDoc project for virtual process chain modeling, a first systematic step towards an integrated and experimentally proven concept for the manufacturing, modeling and dimensioning of combinations of discontinuously and continuously reinforced polymer structures has been established. An SMC based demonstrator has been designed, manufactured and analyzed. In the second funding period, the main focus will again lie on SMC but, additionally, also on long fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFT). The methods developed for SMC will be applied for a more complex SMC demonstrator geometry. Thereby, a) the integrated engineering will be improved by further developing the interfaces between the different projects and methods and b) the physical mechanisms and geometrical microstructures governing the material and structural behavior will be better understood in order to establish robust methods in all research areas. The second generation will begin - in selected projects and subprojects - with research on LFT in order to ensure that the third doctoral generation will have a sufficient amount of data and mature methods to fully focus on LFT, which is also of crucial importance for leightweight structures with large lot sizes. The third generation will benefit from the research of two generations and will methodically work on LFT. The main objective of the third generation is the integrated engineering of continuous-discontinuous long fiber reinforced thermoplastics. Methodically, the more complex physical behavior of the matrix, the different arrangement of fibers and the resulting different matrix fiber interaction will be in the focus within the different research areas. This transfer of methods ensures that the potential of LFT for leightweight structures can be used due to the improved design of the manufacturing processes and structural components.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: Canada
• Applicant Institution: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
• IRTG-Partner Institution: McMaster University; University of Waterloo; University of Windsor; McGill University; Western University
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Böhlke
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Jeffrey Wood
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr.-Ing. Albert Albers; Professor Dr.-Ing. Peter Elsner (†); Professor Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Fleischer; Professor Dr. Peter Gumbsch; Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Henning; Privatdozent Dr.-Ing. Jörg Martin Hohe; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Luise Kärger; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Gisela Lanza; Professorin Dr. Britta Nestler; Professor Dr. Matti Schneider; Professor Dr.-Ing. Volker Schulze; Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Seelig; Professor Dr.-Ing. Kay A. Weidenmann